Sleeve-type magazine catch and dust cover for firearms



F. P. REED April 26, 1960 SLEEVE-TYPE MAGAZINE CATCH AND DUST COVER FOR FIREARMS Filed Sept. 29, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Frederick P. Read BY 1/. W s 2. a. @W

F. P. REED 2,933,842 SLEEVE-TYPE MAGAZINE CATCH AND DUST COVER FOR FIREARMS April 26, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Filed Sept. 29, 1959 INVENTOR. Freflsrick F- E556 Q g; 4- QJQQ J April 26, 1960 F. P. REED 2,933,842

SLEEVE-TYPE MAGAZINE CATCH AND DUST COVER FOR FIREARMS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 29, 1959 INVENTOR. Frederick P- HE. E 13 ZZZ/Q9 44. Iwr

' pelling fired cases.

United States PatentO SLEEVE-TYPE MAGAZINE CATCH AND DUST COVER FOR FIREARMS Frederick P. Reed, Ludlow, Mass, assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Application September 29, 1959, Serial No. 843,316 Claims. 01. 42-18) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), sec. 266) .magazine latch and dust cover device .for releasably :securing the magazine to the receiver and selectively :covering thereceiver openings. which receive the magazine and which permit ejection of the spent cartridge cases.

The specific nature of the invention .as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from .a description of a preferred embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a receiver with themagazine 'catch positioned .to secure the magazine to the receiver and to uncoverythe cartridge ejection port; a i

Fig. 2 is a viewtakenalongiline 2-2 of-Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view taken along line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but with the catch rotated into position for installation and removal of the magazine;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but with the catch rotated to the position noted in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Figs. 2 and 4 but with the catch rotated to cover the ejection and magazine ports;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Figs. 3 and 5 but showing the catch rotated to the position noted in Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is an exploded view of the catch, receiver and magazine.

Shown in the figures is a cylindrical firearm receiver 12 provided with a magazine port 14 through the underside thereof for receiving a box-type magazine 16 and with an ejection port 18 through the upper side for exfront and rear sides of magazine 16 adjacent to but spaced from the tops of such sides so as to extend outwardly at right angles therefrom. The lips 20 are received partially into corresponding recesses 22 formed in the outside wall of receiver 12 when the portion of magazine 16 above such lips is inserted into magazine port 14.

Magazine 16 is releasably secured against displacement A lip 20 is fixed to each of the.

from receiver 12 by a cylindrical sleeve-like catch 24" which isanounted over the receiver for rotation therearound. Catch 24 is provided with an ejection opening includes a longitudinal mouth portion 30 having approximately the same dimensions as the top of magazine 16 ice including lips 20, so that such 'lips may be insertable therethrough into recesses 22, and a clearance portion 32 having substantially the same-dimensions as the top of the magazine, not including the lips, extending symmetrically from the rightside of the mouth portion. The portions of catch 24 extending along the front and rcarsi'des of clearance portion 32 from mouth portion 30 form latch portions 34 which are pressed outwardly to a larger diameter and thereby are movable under the lips 21) which, as noted hereinbefore, are only partially received bythe recesses 22 and thereby extend outwardly beyond the perimeter of receiver 12. Thus, when catch 24 isrotated to where mouth portion 30uncovers magazine ;port {14, magazine 16 is insertable thereinto and clearance portion 32 permits further rotation of catch "24 in a clockwise direction after installation of the magazine so that latch portions 34 may be moved under the lips 20 to 'releasably secure the magazine to receiver 12.

Clearance portion 32 extends sufiiciently from mouth portion 30 so that catch 24 may be rotated to the three positions hereinafter defined. Catch 24 is limited as to angular displacement and is prevented from forward displacement, when'magazine I6 is removed, through the cooperation of a pin 36 extending radially from receiver 12 with a cutout portion 38 formed in the front end of the catch. Cutout portion'38 is defined by apairof end walls 40 and a connecting rear -wall 42. The contact rof pin '36 with the end walls 40 limits the'rotation .of:catch 24,, and forward displacement of the catch 'is prevented by the sliding engagementof .the pin with rearwall1-42. Ejection opening 26 is spaced relative to ,magazineopening 28 and pin- 36 is so disposed relative-to cutout ,por-

tion 38 that, when magazine 16 is removed from receiver .12 and pinfi'eis in contact with one of the end walls 4.0, catch 24 is in the first of the three aforementioned ,positions wtih ejectionport 18,and 'magazineport I4covered by catch 24toprevent dust and anjyother foreign matter enteringthe receiver as is shownin Figs. 6 and 7.

one of the end walls 40, the latch portions 34 remain disposed under the lips 20 and ejection opening 26 is in registry with ejection port 18 to permit the ejection of fired cases from the receiver. When catch 24 is rotated intermediate the first and second positions, as shown by Figs. 4 and 5, month portion 30 is in registry with magazine port 14 so that magazine 16 may be installed in or removed from receiver 12.

Catch 24 is indexable in the three positions through the cooperation of a detent spring 44 with three notches 46 pressed outwardly from the inside of the catch at the rear end thereof. Each of the notches 46 is terminated at the front end by'a wall 47. Spring 44 isof the leaf type and is mounted within a mating recess 48 in the outside of receiver 1-2 so as to bow'ou-twardly therefrom. One end of spring 44 is fixedly attached to receiver. 12 as byspot welding, and provided approximately central of the length of the spring is a protruding detent 50 which is of inverted V-configuration so as to be receivable by one of the three notches 46 when in registry therewith. Besides releasably indexing catch 24 in the three positions, detent 50 also secures the catch against rearward displacement when the magazine is removed from receiver 12 through the engagement of the detent with front wall 47 of the selected one of the notches 46. Catch 24 is removable from receiver 12, when the magazine is removed therefrom, :by rotating the catch until detent 50 is rotated out of engagement with any of the notches 46 and slidingly engaged with the inner surface of the catch which is freed thereby for rearward removal.

From the foregoing it is clearly apparent that there is provided herein a magazine catch of simple and rugged construction which also serves to selectively close the ports in the receiver to prevent dust or other foreign matter entering thereinto.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has 'been described in detail herein, it is evident that many variations may be devised within the spirit and scope thereof and the following claims are intended to include such variations.

' I claim:

1. For a firearm having a cylindrical receiver providedv with an ejection port and a magazine port for receiving a magazine, a combined magazine latchand dust cover device including a cylindrical .catch rotatably mounted around the receiver and disposed thereover to closethe ejection port and the magazine port, means insaid catchfor selectively exposing the ejection and magazine ports when in registry therewith, and cooperating latch means on the magazine and said catch for releasably securing the magazine to the receiver by rotaand disposed thereon to cover the ejection port and the magazine port, a magazine opening disposed in said catch for registry with themagazine port when rotated thereto to permit insertion of the magazine thereinto, cooperating latch means on the magazine and said catch for selectively securing the magazine to the receiver by rotation of said catch, and an ejection opening disposed in said catch for selective registry with the ejection port 'while the magazine is secured to the receiver by said latch means. I

3. For a firearm having a cylindrical receiver provided with an ejection port and a magazine port for receiving a box-type magazine, a combined magazine .4 latch and dust cover device including a lip extending outwardly from each of the front and rear sides of the magazine, a cylindrical catch rotatably mounted around the receiver and disposed thereon to close the ejection port and the magazine port, a magazine opening disposed in said catch for selective registry with the magazine port, said magazine opening including a mouth portion dimensioned to permit insertion of the magazine into said magazine opening and passage of said lips through said catch and a clearance portion extending from said mouth portion to permit rotation of said catch after installation of the magazine, latch portions disposed along the sides of said clearance portion for sliding contact with said lips to secure the magazine to the receiver, and an ejection opening disposed in said catch for selective registry with the ejection port in the receiver when said latch portions are in contact with said lips.

4. The combined latch device and dust cover as recited in claim 3 and including means for selectively indexing said catch to and from three positions comprising a first position wherein said magazine opening is out of registry with the magazine port in the receiver and said ejection opening is out of registry with the ejection port in the receiver to prevent dust or any other foreign matter entering thereinto, a second position wherein said clearance portion of said magazine opening is in registry with the magazine port and said latch portions are in contact with said lips of the magazine when installed in the magazine port and said ejection opening is out of registry with the ejection port, and a third position wherein said ejection opening is in registry with the ejection port and the magazine is' secured to the receiver by contact of said latch portions with said lips.

5. The combined latch device and dust cover as recited in claim 4 wherein said indexing means includes a bowed leaf spring mounted to the receiver, a detent protruding from said spring, and three notches formed in said catch to selectively receive said detent and disposed in said catch to receive said detent when said catch is in a cor responding one of the three positions.

No references cited. 

